Teaching the Songs of Ivor Gurney:
An Applied Studio Guide to the Utilization of Fourteen Songs
DMA Document
Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of
Musical Arts in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University
By
Errik M. Hood, BM, MM
Graduate Program in Music
The Ohio State University
2015
DMA Document Committee
Dr. Robin Rice, Advisor
Professor Joseph Duchi
Professor Kristine Kearney
Dr. Scott McCoy
Copyright by
Errik M. Hood
2015
Abstract
Brilliant and tortured composer Ivor Gurney produced some three hundred
songs, only one third of which have been published. Resistant to criticism from
others and suffering from erratic behavior and a slow decline of his mental faculties,
Gurney’s songs range from masterpieces of the genre to indecipherable muddle.
Recently, well-deserved attention has been paid to the hidden gems that exist in
Gurney’s output. Writings and recordings have brought about critical analysis and
thoughtful performances of these songs; however, little has been written about how
these songs can be utilized where they will have the largest impact on future
generations of singers and audience members: the applied studio. This document
will give a brief background on the life and compositional output of Gurney, with
special attention paid to the composition and publication of his art songs. It will
discuss many high-quality writings that delve into analyzing and advising
performance of these songs. Lastly, this document will summarize observations
from these works with additional observations from this author, and there will be a
discussion regarding the use of this repertoire to address specific pedagogical issues
in the voice studio with fourteen of Gurney’s published songs.
ii
Dedication
To my incredibly loving and supportive parents, who sacrificed much to ensure I
had the opportunity to go wherever my passions led me: Without your help, so
much of what I have accomplished would have been impossible. I am forever
grateful.
iii
Acknowledgments
All musical excerpts copyright Oxford University Press and reproduced with
permission. All poetry reproduced with permission from the copyright holder.
My sincere thanks to my DMA document committee, especially my advisor, Dr.
Robin Rice, for patience, support, and encouragement.
Thanks must be given to Allison Voth, who first introduced me to Ivor Gurney’s
songs at Chautauqua Opera.
To countless friends, family, and students, my thanks for your patience and
flexibility as I devoted more and more time and energy to this work at the frequent
expense of everything from office hours to verbal coherence.
Lastly, to Ivor Gurney: May the torture you endured in this life be eased in the life
that follows, and may you gain some comfort from the continued enjoyment, study,
and performance of your beautiful words and music.
iv
Vita
1985 ......................................................................... Born
2003 ......................................................................... Stebbins High School, Dayton, OH
2008 ......................................................................... B.M., Voice Performance, Magna Cum
Laude, Wright State University, Dayton,
OH
2010 ......................................................................... M.M., Voice Performance, Bienen School
of Music, Northwestern University,
Evanston, IL
2009 to 2010 ........................................................ Graduate Teaching Assistant, Bienen
School of Music, Northwestern University,
Evanston, IL
2010 to 2013 ........................................................ Adjunct Faculty, Wright State University,
Dayton, OH
v
2011 to 2013 ........................................................ Graduate Teaching Associate, The Ohio
State University, Columbus, OH
2013 to 2014 ........................................................ Interim Lecturer, Northern Kentucky
University, Highland Heights, KY
2014 to present ................................................... Adjunct Faculty, University of Dayton,
Dayton, OH
Fields of Study
Major Field: Music
vi
Table of Contents
Abstract ...................................................................................................................................................... ii
Dedication ................................................................................................................................................. iii
Acknowledgments ................................................................................................................................. iv
Vita................................................................................................................................................................ v
Ivor Gurney: A Biographical Sketch ................................................................................................. 1
Early Life ................................................................................................................................................................ 1
London and the Royal College of Music..................................................................................................... 5
World War I: Training and Battle ................................................................................................................ 8
World War I: Hospitalization, Heartbreak, and Discharge .............................................................. 12
Trouble with Reentry: Gloucester and London.................................................................................... 15
Asylum .................................................................................................................................................................. 18
Posthumous Song Publication..................................................................................................................... 20
The Need for a Pedagogical Discussion ....................................................................................... 23
vii
BLACK STITCHEL ................................................................................................................................. 28
BY A BIERSIDE ...................................................................................................................................... 32
CATHLEEN NI HOULIHAN ................................................................................................................ 37
THE CLOTHS OF HEAVEN ................................................................................................................ 42
DESIRE IN SPRING............................................................................................................................... 47
DOWN BY THE SALLEY GARDENS ................................................................................................ 51
EVEN SUCH IS TIME............................................................................................................................ 55
THE FOLLY OF BEING COMFORTED ............................................................................................ 60
IN FLANDERS ........................................................................................................................................ 66
THE NIGHT OF TRAFALGAR............................................................................................................ 71
SEVERN MEADOWS ............................................................................................................................ 76
SLEEP........................................................................................................................................................ 81
THOU DIDST DELIGHT MY EYES ................................................................................................... 87
THE TWA CORBIES ............................................................................................................................. 92
Sources Consulted ............................................................................................................................... 97
viii
Ivor Gurney: A Biographical Sketch
The following biographical sketch is intended to provide historical
background in a condensed and concise format to aid potential performers and
teachers of Ivor Gurney’s art songs with historical context regarding the life of this
troubled composer. Gurney’s principle biographers are Michael Hurd and Pamela
Blevins, and their works The Ordeal of Ivor Gurney and Ivor Gurney and Marion Scott:
Song of Pain and Beauty are outstanding pieces of scholarship that provide in-depth
discussions of Gurney’s life. These works, in combination with Gurney’s complete
letters edited by R.K.R. Thornton, provide as complete a picture of Gurney’s life as
possible for any Gurney researcher. Where not otherwise cited, these
comprehensive biographies serve as the principle resources for the compiled
biographical sketch that follows.
Early Life
On August 28, 1890, Florence Gurney gave birth in England to her third
surviving child, a boy, and named him Ivor Bertie Gurney. Her husband, Ivor’s
father David, was a tailor of middling success, and Florence helped him run the
small shop that provided for the family. David was a kind, patient, and gentle man,
1
reticent to participate in conflict and accommodating of his very different wife.
Florence was prone to outbursts of temper and to serious bouts of anxiety.
Shortly after Ivor’s birth, the family relocated to a house that also contained
the shop, and the modesty of the living quarters in combination with increased
business contributed to stable and comfortable finances. Accompanying the
ascension of the family into the middle class was the purchase of a piano and the
provision of music lessons for the Gurney children, a decision that would influence
the life of young Ivor and the musical landscape of Britain in the decades that
followed.
The Gurney family worshipped at All Saints’ Church in Gloucester, where Ivor
was baptized in 1890. Without godparents accompanying the child, the Reverend
Alfred Cheesman stood in, a role he took very seriously during Ivor’s adolescence.
Cheesman was an intellectual who was well-read and had a deep love of poetry and
philosophy. The reverend was also known throughout the community of Gloucester
to enjoy the company of adolescent boys but by all accounts provided only innocent
mentorship and teaching to his many young companions. Gurney was one of
Cheesman’s most doted upon mentees, visiting the latter’s home some 2,000 times
by Cheesman’s own accounts.
Under Cheesman’s advice and help, Gurney successfully auditioned for the
Cathedral Choir. And, as a result, Gurney attended the King’s School, where he
studied theory, organ, piano, and singing as part of his normal education. Gurney
was also a relatively successful athlete during his schooling but was noted to keep
2
mostly to himself. As he entered into his teenage years, Gurney took to the
Gloucester countryside and the literature provided to him by Cheesman for
companionship rather than his school peers. Gurney took these escapes more and
more regularly as his intellectual and musical prowess began to surpass the
understanding of his strict and humble family.
Not only was the country surrounding the city of Gloucester instrumental in
the young poet and composer’s development, but so too was the rich musical
tradition of the city. The Three Choirs Festival was, at the time, world famous, and
attendance at related performances helped to solidify young Ivor’s determination to
become a professional musician by the time he left the Cathedral Choir in 1906. He
studied organ, piano, and composition under Dr. Herbert Bewer, the organist of the
cathedral, and began serving in a variety of small organist positions. Gurney’s
outspoken nature, however, often led to his prompt dismissal from these posts.
Perhaps the most important thing Ivor took from his early years in
Gloucester, aside from the love of music and literature he gained from Reverend
Cheesman, were a few lifelong friendships. These included Will Harvey, Margaret
and Emily Hunt, and Herbert Howells. Will Harvey was Gurney’s closest lifelong
friend, and the two were inseparable for much of Gurney’s youth. The Harvey family
practically adopted young Ivor, and he would spend days at a time at their home.
The Hunt sisters were muses, supporters, and patrons of the mercurial young
Gurney’s poetry and music for the rest of their lives. Herbert Howells studied music
3
along with Gurney at the Royal College of Music and advocated for his friend’s art
throughout Gurney’s life and after his premature death.
4
London and the Royal College of Music
Ivor Gurney and Herbert Howells arrived in London in 1911 to study at the
Royal College of Music (RCM). Gurney, with support and help from Reverend
Cheesman, had received a substantial scholarship to facilitate his attendance at the
school. Gurney’s submitted songs in support of his scholarship prompted
comparisons to a young Franz Schubert, and indeed, upon his arrival at the school,
many remarked upon the physical resemblance as well. Principle among the
acquaintances Gurney made in his time at the RCM was Marion Scott. She was a
composer, music critic, poet, and musician. Scott would eventually become Gurney’s
closest friend and confidant and most outspoken champion.
Brimming with potential and excitement, Gurney met a foil in his
composition teacher, Sir Charles Stanford. Stanford was seen by many as the
unrivalled, principal teacher in all of England, and he vehemently insisted upon
adherence to rules and regimented discipline. The regulation and order demanded
by Stanford were at odds with Gurney’s temperamental behavior, rumpled
appearance, and manic energy. These conflicting personalities exacerbated a new
phenomenon for Gurney: musical criticism. Gurney grew increasingly frustrated
and felt stifled. The frustration was mutual. Stanford told Howells later that of all
his pupils (an impressive list consisting of Ralph Vaughan Williams, Gustav Holst,
5
John Ireland, and many others), Gurney was potentially the most talented yet also
the “least teachable.”1
Whether in spite of the teaching of Stanford or as a result of it, Gurney’s
compositions began to show remarkable maturity at this time. Three of the songs
selected for this document originate during this early period at the RCM. “The Twa
Corbies” and “The Night of Trafalgar” are examples of dramatic experimental
writing and certainly are worthwhile songs. The chief achievement from this time,
however, is Gurney’s set of Five Elizabethan Songs, from which “Sleep” is taken.
Many subsequent songs lack the prowess of these five, indicating that they are
perhaps an intuitive leap forward—composed more as a visceral response to the
beautifully expressive Elizabethan poetry than as a nuanced expression of a
heightened intellectual understanding of his own compositional talent.
The musical development Gurney experienced during his early years at the
RCM was derailed by the first of many nervous breakdowns that occurred in the
spring of 1913. Upon consultation with doctors in London, Gurney decided to
return home to Gloucester to recuperate. Rather than staying with his family,
Gurney lived with his friends, the Harris family, whom he had known since 1907.
Gurney admired the work ethic and gregariousness of the Harris family and threw
himself into hard physical labor to stave off the lethargic and depressive state under
which he suffered.
1
Vaughan Williams and Howells, “Ivor Gurney: The Musician,” 13.
6
It is most likely that this nervous breakdown in 1913 served as the first onset
of bipolar disorder that would torment Gurney for the rest of his life. The selfmedicative tactic of releasing endorphins through physical labor was employed
again and again through more frequent and more serious bouts with depression
throughout the rest of Gurney’s life. This attempt to find balance would continue to
elude him for the rest of his days. In 1913, after a period of a few months, Gurney
entered into a manic phase and returned to London with seemingly unquenchable
energy, bravado, and impulsiveness.
7
World War I: Training and Battle
In 1914, upon hearing that war had been declared, Gurney volunteered for
military service but was turned away due to his poor eyesight. A mix of patriotism,
restlessness, and pride motivated Gurney to volunteer once again, and with
restrictions becoming less stringent as the need for soldiers increased, Gurney was
accepted into military service in February of 1915. Gurney referred to his military
service as an “experiment,” hoping to give himself purpose and to recreate his tried
and true medicative periods of physically arduous activity in an effort to stave off
his depression and writer’s block. Writing to Marion Scott, he seems to consider the
experiment a success in his early days of military training in England, stating: “My
health is still slowly improving; and as my mind clears, and as the need for selfexpression grows less weak, the thought of leaving all I have to say unsaid, makes
me cold.”2
Gurney found comfort among the men with whom he trained and
experienced the hard work of training as difficult but satisfying. After a brief stint in
a military band playing baritone and occasionally conducting, Gurney’s unit was
shipped off to France. Continuing his training and standing in support of the front
2
Thornton, Ivor Gurney: Collected Letters, 21.
8
lines, Gurney had much time in the trenches, during which he wrote poetry and
sketched ideas for songs. His unit saw battle in the summer of 1916, and it was near
the end of this summer that Gurney received his first wound of war. The wound was
not physical, however, but rather an emotional blow of devastating severity.
Gurney’s childhood friend, Will Harvey, had been reported missing and was
presumed dead. During these emotionally draining times, Gurney composed his
trench songs, notably “In Flanders,” which was a setting of Harvey’s own poetry. By
October, Ivor learned that Will was, in fact, alive and well and being held in a
German prisoner of war camp. The two were eventually able to correspond, and the
connection with his good friend did much to bolster Gurney’s spirits and equip him
to survive the emotional and physical hardships of war.
Gurney, while inundated with battle and the hardships of trench life, seemed
unexpectedly calm and detached from his situation. This is especially evident in his
letters to his close friends back in England. To Marion Scott, he wrote:
The night before we came up here there was a heavy
bombardment of these trenches, so our debut narrowly
escaped being extremely trivilling, but the telling of all
this and much more must be postponed till the happy
day when I shall hold the listener with my glittering eye
and bore them to shriefs and titters of apprehensive
imbecility. Apres la guerre.3
In addition to these correspondences with Scott, Howells, and Harvey, Gurney
busied himself with creative writing of his own. Remarkably, he was able to
compose at least five songs while in the trenches of battle, but he was even more
3
Ibid., 87.
9
prolific poetically. This outpouring of war poetry would come to be the primary
source of Gurney’s notoriety, with music serving a secondary purpose. Indeed,
while Gurney was facing hunger, battle, and boredom on the front lines, Scott was
editing and arranging for the publication of Gurney’s poetry, and Howells was
orchestrating some of his early war songs for public performance in London.
Gurney’s good humor about his circumstances began to fade during the harsh
winter of 1916-1917. On April 7, 1917, the day after the United States declared war
on Germany, Gurney was shot in the right arm. Initially worried the injury would be
severe enough to prevent his composition and performance of music, Gurney soon
began to come to a disappointing conclusion on the opposite end of the spectrum:
The wound was not even serious enough for him to be sent home. He said to Scott
he was injured “but not badly; perhaps not badly enough…” 4 Gurney began his time
in the hospital understandably grateful for the respite from battle but quickly grew
bored and restless.
Returning to the front, Gurney wrestled with difficulties both external and
internal. He longed for his poetry to be published and confided in his friends his
envy of Howells, who had been disqualified from service for health issues, and his
success and progress at the RCM. Gurney had begun to excel as a marksman,
though, and his superiors unfortunately noticed his talent. He was transferred to be
a machine gunner, which was an exceptionally dangerous assignment. Constantly
under shelling and sniper threat, Gurney was on edge and grew anxious. Eventually,
4
Ibid., 242.
10
in September of 1917, Gurney got his ticket back to England not through a bullet or
shrapnel but from the ill effects of exposure to gas.
11
World War I: Hospitalization, Heartbreak, and Discharge
Gurney, for reasons he did not share in his letters, did not want frequent
visits from his friends and family during his recovery from gas exposure. As a result,
he selected Edinburgh War Hospital in Scotland as the location of his recuperation.
Inadvertently, he chose one of the best military hospitals in all of the United
Kingdom. On the forefront of medical treatment, the hospital also provided
exceptional food and recreational activities for patients.
Perhaps the most appealing feature of the Edinburgh War Hospital was a
volunteer nurse by the name of Annie Nelson Drummond. Gurney described her in a
letter to Howells as “perfectly enchanting.”5 Relationships between patients and
staff were discouraged, and Gurney’s infatuation with Drummond only seemed to be
stoked by the necessary secrecy surrounding their connection. He often referred to
her by nicknames when corresponding with his friends about her. It was during
these early weeks of his hospital stay and infatuation with Nurse Drummond that
Gurney composed “The Folly of Being Comforted.”
Gurney was eventually released from Edinburgh and, after a brief visit to
London, went back to military post training as a signaler. He was constantly
5
Ibid., 395.
12
troubled by health issues associated with the gas exposure, going in and out of
hospitals, all the while corresponding with Drummond, with whom he professed to
be deeply in love. Letters from Gurney to friends and family hinted at an
engagement; however, in March of 1918, their relationship suddenly ended. The
precise reasons for the split do not survive in extant letters, but it’s likely that as a
trained health professional, Drummond began to see signs of the mental
deterioration and emotional instability in Gurney that would be compounded
exponentially by the end of their relationship. After the split, Gurney was hurled
into a renewed crippling depression.
This depression gave way to an even more troubling sign of deterioration in
Gurney’s mental state. The new phenomenon was revealed to Scott in a letter
Gurney wrote her in which he contended he had been able to converse directly with
the spirits of Beethoven, Schumann, and Bach. He described the event to her as
follows:
Yesterday I felt and talked to (I am serious) the
spirit of Beethoven.
No, there is no exclamation mark behind that,
because such a statement is past ordinary ways of
expressing surprise. But you know sceptical [sic] I was
of any such thing before.
It means I have reached higher than ever before
– in spite of the dirt and coarseness and selfishness of so
much of me. Something happened the day before which
considerably lessened and lightened my gloom. What it
was I shall not tell you, but it was the strangest and
most terrible adventure. The next day while I was
playing the slow movement of the D major sonata I felt
the presence of a wise and friendly spirit; it was old
Ludwig van all right. When I had finished he said ‘Yes,
but there’s a better thing than that’ and turned me to
13
the 1st movement of the latest E flat Sonata – a beauty (I
did not know it before). There was a lot more; Bach was
there but does not care for me. Schumann also, but my
love for him is not so great. Beethoven said among other
things that he was fond of me and that in nature I was
like himself as a young man…6
Gurney seemed to acknowledge the incredulity of his claim, later saying in the same
letter: “There! What would the doctors say to that? A Ticket certainly, for insanity.
No, it is the beginning of a new life, a new vision.”7 It seems that Gurney’s
assessment of the doctors’ reactions was correct, as shortly after he was sent to
Lord Derby’s War Hospital, an asylum before the war that had now been oriented
toward the mental treatment of war-weary soldiers.
Several weeks later, in early June, Gurney sat down to write notes to several
close friends and mailed them out. These notes detail Gurney’s intention to commit
suicide that day in chilling brevity. More than one includes the statement, “You
would rather know me dead than mad.”8 Intending to drown himself, Gurney was
found by a canal by hospital staff, having “lost his courage.”9 Gurney’s friends
responded to the suicide attempt by successfully trying to have him moved from the
wholly inadequate treatment he was receiving at Lord Derby’s War Hospital. The
army did them one better: just a couple of months later, discharging him from
service shortly before the fighting ceased.
Ibid., 418.
Ibid.
8 Ibid., 430.
9 Ibid., 431.
6
7
14
Trouble with Reentry: Gloucester and London
Upon his release from the army, Gurney returned to his beloved Gloucester
to the concerned company of his friends and family. He went about his typical selfmedication, throwing himself into hard manual labor and long walks through the
countryside. He also avoided prolonged contact with his family, electing instead to
stay with friends, often dropping in on them unannounced and staying for long
periods of time. Gurney’s erratic behavior, prolific writing, and irregular work
indicate that the fall of 1918 was a time of transitioning into a manic state. By
December, Gurney seemed to have acclimated to the return to civilian life, and his
behavior stabilized somewhat.
In January, Gurney made arrangements to return to London, intending to
resume his studies at the RCM. This time, Gurney would study composition with
Ralph Vaughan Williams. Needing funds, Gurney began working as an organist
nearby, and a reverend there, Arthur Chapman, opened his home to Gurney and
provided a sanctuary away from the chaos of the RCM and the oppressive
atmosphere of London during this time. Gurney’s wanderings, and his
compositions, grew increasingly manic.
15
The initial stage of his return to college went very well. Vaughan Williams
was kinder and more accommodating than Gurney’s first teacher. Gurney had also
gained a bit of notoriety, primarily as a war poet (the first edition of his collection of
poems, Severn and Somme, had sold out) but also as a composer. Public
performances of his songs, edited and orchestrated by Howells, had been given, and
his set of Elizabethan songs had been published along with a handful of other works.
The years 1919 and 1920, in fact, were the most prolific years of composition of
Gurney’s life. These years produced numerous excellent songs, including “Cathleen
ni Houlihan,” as well as the inception of Gurney’s two major song cycles. In spite of
his father’s death in 1919, Gurney appeared to be in good spirits during this manic
phase and rubbed shoulders with some of the most influential British poets and
musicians of the time.
Beneath the energetic and productive surface, however, Gurney’s old
struggles were beginning to seethe. He grew increasingly impatient with the
publications of new poems and songs and with himself, feeling unable to harness the
mounting storm of energy inside him. His restlessness increased his wandering and
travel, and his attendance in classes and lessons became less and less regular. In
April of 1920, Gurney departed the RCM early for the summer. He returned only
briefly the next fall but was unable to pass his exams. Out of scholarship funds and
unable to support himself financially, Gurney departed the RCM for good. Unable to
hold down a job due to his erratic comportment, Gurney relied upon help from
16
friends and family, constantly traveling between London and Gloucester and
virtually anywhere he could lay his head.
In 1922, after working odd jobs including farm work (another attempt at
self-medication through manual labor), Gurney secured a position in the Gloucester
Income Tax office as a clerk. Following months of living off the financial support of
friends and in the homes of friends who were growing weary of his outbursts, odd
hours, and erratic behavior, a stable job seemed just the boon Ivor needed to
stabilize his now spiraling life and mental state. Being confined indoors and finding
himself unable to acquiesce to his frequent impulses, however, sped up his decline.
He began complaining about being tortured by electricity and radio waves, claiming
the latter were inundating him with voices intent on controlling his mind.
Ivor moved in (uninvited) with his brother Ronald in the summer of 1922,
and by that September, his behavior had become erratic to the point of violence. He
frequently made reference to suicide. After consultation with a doctor, Ronald made
preparations to have Ivor declared insane and to have him committed.
17
Asylum
On September 28, 1922, Ivor Gurney was committed to Barnwood House, an
asylum in Gloucester. Gurney took his early commitment very hard, refusing to eat
and twice escaping in the first couple of months after he arrived. He wrote his
friend Marion Scott frequently, often mentioning suicide. It was decided that
Gurney’s proximity to his beloved Gloucester in addition to his anxiety over being
recognized there were exacerbating his mental decline and that he should be
transferred to the City of London Mental Hospital at Dartford. On December 21,
1922, two hospital attendants drove Ivor Gurney to London; he was never to see his
beloved Gloucester again.
Stone House, as the Mental Hospital in London was known, was recognized
as being on the forefront of the treatment of the mentally ill at the time. The staff all
underwent special training, and music was determined to be an integral diversion
for patients. This, in conjunction with the proximity of Marion Scott, who had
become Gurney’s primary advocate and benefactor, made Stone House an ideal
choice. Gurney made one last escape in January of 1923, travelling to the home of
Ralph Vaughan Williams, where he was apprehended and returned to Stone House.
18
Gurney began to busy himself by prolifically writing poetry and letters. He
read ravenously and would also occasionally play piano to accompany the movies
played for the patients at Stone House. The torment Gurney complained to have
suffered through electricity and radio waves increased, and he began to seek the
release of death.
Marion Scott visited Gurney religiously and began to gather his writings, both
those produced before his commitment and the ones he wrote in the asylum.
Musically, Gurney produced very little except for a period of mania in 1925 and
1926 that yielded some fifty songs. Most of these new songs, in addition to several
earlier songs that he attempted to revise, were barely decipherable at best and
utterly incoherent at worst. After 1926, music ceased to flow from Gurney’s pen.
Gurney spent eleven more years in the asylum. His moments of clarity
became less and less frequent, his claims more and more outrageous. He claimed
there were machines of torture hidden under the floor. He claimed he wrote the
plays of Shakespeare. On the twenty-sixth of December 1937, with only two nurses
present, Ivor Gurney succumbed to tuberculosis and passed away.
19
Posthumous Song Publication
At the time of Gurney’s death in 1937, fewer than forty of his songs had been
published. These published songs were found in sources such as Music and Letters
and in sets such as his Five Elizabethan Songs and his two song cycles. During the
later years of Gurney’s life, Marion Scott worked with composers Gerald Finzi and
Howard Ferguson (who were great admirers of Gurney’s despite barely knowing
him personally and certainly not before his mental state had deteriorated) to catalog
and sort the hundreds of unpublished song manuscripts in an effort to garner
attention for the composer’s work.
The manuscripts were in poor shape, often sloppily written and unclear.
Scott attempted to provide dates and text sources, while Finzi inspected each
available song for quality. In early 1937, Finzi and Ferguson had narrowed the list
down of over two hundred and fifty unpublished songs to twenty-five they felt were
most viable for immediate publication. Vaughan Williams then selected twenty
from among these, and the Oxford University Press (OUP) agreed to publish the
twenty songs in two volumes. Unfortunately, at this time, Gurney was too weak to
inspect the proofs of these songs and did not live long enough to see their
publication in 1938. The group, interrupted by World War II, prepared ten more
20
songs that were published by OUP in 1953. Following the deaths of Finzi and Scott,
Ferguson alone prepared the fourth volume, which was published by OUP in 1959.
Oxford University Press published a fifth volume of Gurney’s songs in 1979.
This volume was prepared and edited by composer Michael Hurd, then lead trustee
of the Ivor Gurney Trust. Hurd’s approach to the further publication of Gurney
manuscripts was conservative, as he was apt to minimize editorial decisions that
might impact Gurney’s original intent. Hurd felt all of the manuscripts that were
publishable had been published already, stating: “If, as has so far obtained, you
restrict it to the absolute minimum (i.e. the addition of phrase marks and dynamics),
then the remaining manuscripts should be left unpublished.”10
The attitude of the Ivor Gurney Trust has shifted since Hurd was succeeded
by Ian Venables, who argues that performance editions of many of these
manuscripts can be prepared “without sacrificing either the standards of previous
editions or by making obtrusive changes to the music itself.”11 This work has
already begun within the Trust and also through the work of independent scholars.
Eric Neuville, in his dissertation from 2014, appraised the quality of the unpublished
songs in the possession of the Ivor Gurney Trust that were written between the
composer’s commencement of study at the RCM and his commitment. Neuville
prepared performance editions and recorded five songs from those ninety
Hurd, “Gurney’s Unpublishable(?) Songs,” 7.
Venables, “The ‘Unpublished Songs’ of Ivor Gurney: A Composer’s Reappraisal,”
114.
21
10
11
qualifying manuscripts and contends more viable songs remain unpublished in the
archives.
22
The Need for a Pedagogical Discussion
Academic interest in Ivor Gurney has been present in the nearly eighty years
since his death. A soldier, poet, victim of mental illness, and composer, Gurney’s life
provides fodder for much discussion on a variety of topics. Michael Hurd’s
biography, The Ordeal of Ivor Gurney, serves as the authoritative depiction of the
troubled young composer’s life, making frequent use of letters written by Gurney
and his loved ones. Recently, Pamela Blevins published an excellent dual biography
of Gurney and Marion Scott, focusing primarily on the profound impact each had on
one another’s lives.
Most academic writing has centered on Gurney’s mental illness and the
interplay of this with his poetry, specifically that which was written in the trenches
and immediate aftermath of World War I. Musicians interested in the study of
Gurney’s songs are not without excellent resources, however. Charles Moore, in his
1967 dissertation, provides a first-rate compilation of data describing all of the
published songs available to him at the time. (The fifth Oxford University Press
volume had yet to be released.) Not only does Moore provide comments on every
single published song, but he also endeavors to analyze the structure of these songs
to discuss the most common themes and constructions throughout them, eventually
23
describing what a “typical” Ivor Gurney song constitutes. Another similar effort is
made in Michael Pilkington’s book Gurney, Ireland, Quilter, and Warlock. In this
work, Pilkington compiles brief comments about the makeup of all known songs by
these composers. Ratings regarding the difficulty of the vocal and piano parts are
assigned, but details aren’t provided on these aspects.
These works are informative of another excellent dissertation, this one
written by Kim Lawrence Renas. Renas narrows the focus to the fifty songs present
in the five OUP volumes but goes further in depth discussing the vocal line and piano
parts, also listing key elements of each song and often remarking on the
circumstances surrounding the time of composition. Ratings regarding the overall
quality of the songs are assigned, and pertinent references in Gurney’s letters and
other writings are included. While the structures of the songs are discussed, little is
said about the interpretations of the songs and virtually nothing about the vocal
requirements or benefits.
More detailed analyses and discussions on performance aspects can be found
when utilizing even narrower song selections. Dissertations by David Kenneth
Smith, Lawrence G. Johnson, David Herendeen, and Robert Clayton Smith each
dissect a handful of Gurney songs and provide analyses regarding the harmonic
makeup, melodic lines, and relation to poetry. These are top-notch pieces of
research that successfully provide insight into these songs and how they relate to
the troubled life of Gurney. Some limited mention is made about the vocal
requirements for these songs. Nora Sirbaugh discusses this a bit in her dissertation
24
describing Gurney’s use of song to communicate his love for Gloucestershire, and
her excellent article written for the Ivor Gurney Society Journal (“Reflections on
Singing Ivor Gurney”) provides a general commentary (with some discussion of
vocal technique) about what a singer needs to bring to Gurney’s art songs in order
to perform them successfully. Sirbaugh illuminates this commentary with specific
examples from some of Gurney’s finest songs.
Finally, no full preparation can be given to the performance of Ivor Gurney
songs without consultation with Stephan Banfield’s Sensibility and English Song:
Critical Studies of the Early Twentieth Century. This book details the stylistic
evolution of the twentieth century English art song idiom and provides a thoughtful
discourse on the composition and performance of many Gurney songs.
Yet, in spite of mounting academic interest in Ivor Gurney and in the treasury
of over one hundred published songs (and around 200 as yet unpublished songs, the
viability of which Eric Neuville discusses with pragmatic optimism in his
dissertation, “The Unpublished Songs of Ivor Gurney”), these songs remain almost
entirely out of the common repertoire. Many of the published songs cannot be
found on any commercial recordings. As art song recitals fade from cultural
relevance, it is the contention of this writer that the only way to bring in the work of
this underutilized composer from the periphery and into the mainstream is to
cement its place in the training of singers in the academy.
Young singers are now required to be more versatile than at any other time
in history. In addition to the study of music in English, German, Italian, and French
25
from periods ranging from the Baroque to the Romantic, students must explore the
repertoire of the modern era and are asked more than ever before to be proficient in
musical theater and contemporary commercial music. Russian and the Slavic
languages are increasingly in demand, as are Spanish and Eastern music. In
America, when English language music from the first half of the twentieth century is
assigned, teachers often eschew British composers in favor of their American
counterparts, or if they do assign the British repertoire, they prefer the more
familiar and accessible songs of composers such as Roger Quilter or Gerald Finzi.
In such circumstances, there seems little room for the introduction of
Gurney’s repertoire. However, the songs of Ivor Gurney provide a uniquely British
voice that spans the gap between the late Romantic style and the modern style in a
way few others do while keeping in the forefront the experience of a troubled mind
in a world torn apart by conflict as never before. There seems to be little motivation
for teachers to employ these songs in lessons, as teachers themselves are not
familiar with them nor with their intrinsic pedagogical value. The goal of this
document, therefore, is to ameliorate that concern.
For each of the fourteen songs to follow, general information such as range,
tessitura, text source, etc., will be provided. The default pitches provided for range
and tessitura will be those for a male singer; female singers would perform an
octave higher. Notable recordings including each song will be presented in addition
to images of the opening measures and information about where the sheet music for
each song can be found in current published anthologies. Finally, page numbers will
26
be provided so teachers and students can utilize the aforementioned books and
dissertations to further study these songs. The body of each entry will include
especially helpful excerpts from these writings as well as this author’s observations
and a discussion about the potential pedagogical pitfalls and benefits of each song.
27
BLACK STITCHEL
Range:
D-flat 3-E4
Tessitura:
Best for:
Baritone, Tenor, Mezzo-Soprano, Soprano
F3-C4
Text Source: Neighbors by Wilfrid Wilson Gibson
Location:
Oxford: Volume I, Number 3
References: Banfield: 196; Moore: 140-1; Pilkington: 7-8; Renas: 86-8
Helps with: Chromatic and rhythmic complexity, passaggio (especially tenor)
Challenges: Vowel-pitch alignment (low-voiced male), breath support/phrasing
Notable Recordings: Severn and Somme: Songs and Poems by Ivor Gurney: David
Johnston (tenor), Christopher Keyte (baritone), Daphne Ibbott (piano), Geoffrey
Pratley (piano) [Pearl 1997]; A Shropshire Lad & The Land of Lost Content: Anthony
Rolfe Johnson (tenor), David Willison (piano) [Polydor Select 1875]; Songs of Travel:
Anthony Wolfe Johnson (tenor), David Willison (piano) [IMP Classics 1993]; Wars
Embers: Michael George (bass), Stephen Varcoe (baritone), Martyn Hill (tenor),
Clifford Benson (piano) [Hyperion Helios 2006]; When I Was One-and-Twenty:
Butterworth & Gurney Songs: Benjamin Luxon (baritone), David Willison (piano)
[Chandos Records 1990]
28
Overview
This modified strophic setting of a romantic poem focuses on the winds that
come from the four cardinal directions while sitting on a well-known hill in
Northumberland. Each stanza is treated slightly different musically to allow for the
emotional context that accompanies each wind. Pilkington summarizes these winds
as: “South wind for happiness, West wind for love, the North for wrath, and the East
for pity.”12
The charming melody begins in the first stanza and is repeated with little
variation aside from rhythmic adjustments for text in the second until this section
ends on a sustained high note. In the third stanza, Gurney foregoes any connection
melodically or tonally to the first two, allowing chromatic harmony to support the
12
Pilkington, Gurney, Ireland, Quilter and Warlock, 7.
29
louder and higher melodic depiction of the wrathful north wind. The final stanza
resembles the first, but it is slower and easier, with new musical ideas at the
conclusion of the song. Through each of these four verses, the accompaniment
seems almost obsessively fixated on constant eighth-note motion. This is greatly
effective in the lovelorn second and frightening third stanzas but decidedly detracts
from the mood of the more calm and contemplative first and fourth stanzas.
The setting is largely syllabic; however, melismas are employed to text-paint
throughout the song on the word “blowing” in each stanza. Renas points out that
the melisma “… for each directional wind receives a musically different treatment;
the melismas become longer or more chromatic, as dictated by Gibson’s poetry.”13
Studio Use
The tessitura and range of this particular song allow for it to be sung by any
voice type, with the exception of a young true bass or contralto. Advanced lower
voices will find it an excellent teaching tool for prolonged singing in the uppermiddle voice and avoiding an overly heavy sound on open vowels at the passaggio.
This is especially troublesome on the prolonged E-natural on an open vowel for a
low-voiced male. This same tessitura and vowel-pitch alignment, though, would
make this a fantastic piece for young tenors, as Renas notes, because the E-natural is
pre-passaggio for this voice type.
Renas, “The Songs of Ivor Gurney as Published by Oxford University
Press: A Repertoire Guide,” 88.
30
13
While fairly chromatic tonally, the melody is largely stepwise with relatively
easy leaps. This could help introduce a musically insecure singer to a less
comfortably diatonic repertoire. In addition, while the constant eighth-note piano
motion may take away from the overall musical quality of the song, the inherent
subdivision will help the same less secure singer take steps toward the rhythmic
complexity present in the vocal line. In short, this song sets a beginning student up
for success as he or she ventures into slightly more complicated musical study.
While Gurney dictates his choices for vocal phrasing, as per usual, the
growing intensity in dynamic level and tempo throughout the song, longer than
average phrases, and frequent sustained notes at the end of phrases make support
and phrasing a challenge for students in this piece.
Summary
The pitch-vowel alignment will prove difficult for low-voiced males, but it is a
great teaching tool for the other voice types. As it is tonally and rhythmically
complex, beginning students and some intermediate students may struggle
musically; however, a simpler melodic line and constant eighth-note motion in the
accompaniment may ease the transition from a more basic repertoire. A solid
foundation of breath support will be required. An interesting and dramatically
satisfying song, “Black Stitchel” provides an opportunity for students to broaden
their musical horizons while exploring registration and support issues.
31
BY A BIERSIDE
Range:
A2-F4
Best for:
Baritone, Mezzo-Soprano
Tessitura:
E3-D4
Text Source: The Tragedy of Pompey the Great by James Masefield
Location:
Oxford: Volume V, Number 1
References: Banfield: 189-90, 199-200; Herendeen: 46-56; Pilkington: 22-3;
Renas: 212-20
Helps with: Robust voices, registration (mezzo), dramatic interpretation
Challenges: Breath/phrasing, registration (baritone)
Notable Recordings: The Dark Pastoral: Music and Poetry from World War One:
Andrew Kennedy (tenor), Julius Drake (piano), Simon Russell Beale (reader) [Altara
2008]; Severn Meadows: Songs by Ivor Gurney: Paul Agnew (tenor), Julius Drake
(piano) [Hyperion 2001]; Wars Embers: Michael George (bass), Stephen Varcoe
(baritone), Martyn Hill (tenor), Clifford Benson (piano) [Hyperion Helios 2006];
When I Was One-and-Twenty: Butterworth & Gurney Songs: Benjamin Luxon
(baritone), David Willison (piano) [Chandos Records 1990]
32
Overview
In mid-August of 1916, in a trench in France, Ivor Gurney composed the first
of his war songs. Written in the trenches without the benefit of a piano, “By a
Bierside” lacks the tonal cohesion and memorable melodic lines of his more
successful songs. This fact did not escape the composer. When he finally heard his
song for the first time after gaining access to a piano in France, he stated that the
song “contained even more strangeness than I had thought.”14 By this time,
however, the song was already being circulated in England.
The noticeable differences are not to be blamed entirely on the lack of piano
in the composition process. Indeed, Gurney was facing the subject of his song daily
and had much time to contemplate the idea of aggrandized death during battle. The
14
Thornton, Ivor Gurney: Collected Letters, 194.
33
poetry must have spoken to Gurney not in a symbolic or metaphorical way but
rather in a very real sense. The poem opens with a discussion of the beauty of a
fallen soldier who is rooted in the city of origin. While ancient Troy serves as home
to this particular soldier, Gurney himself viewed Gloucester with awe and
reverence. The vocal line in the opening is long and wonderfully set, though the
range is quite large, ranging from low A to high D.
It is after this lovely opening that the song becomes disjunct. Gurney assigns
each depiction of death new and contrasting musical material, with little done in the
accompaniment to aid the transitions. Finally, the declamatory statement of “It is
most grand to die” is set leading up to over four measures of sustained high E
naturals. Earlier versions of the song contained eight full measures of sustained
high E, but Gurney was eventually convinced to pare it down to four through
correspondence with Howells and Scott.15 This is the vocal climax of the piece;
however, the musical peak occurs in the piano response to this statement at a fff
repetition of a continuing eighth-note motive reminiscent of church bells.
Studio Use
“By a Bierside” is a powerful and emotionally set song composed without the
benefit of the piano and conceived orchestrally. As such, it lacks much of the
refinement and attention to singers’ needs that many of Gurney’s songs possess.
The dynamic diversity and large range required relegate the assignment of this song
15
Pilkington, Gurney, Ireland, Quilter and Warlock, 23.
34
mostly to advanced singers. The beginning of the song offers long, quiet, and
exposed phrases in the middle voice. After a middle section that lingers in the
upper-middle voice, there is a climax that requires a loud, sustained pitch right at
the passaggio for low voices. The open vowels at and above the passaggio will aid
the mezzo-sopranos who undertake the song, but adjustments will need to be made
for developing baritones.
This song can serve as an excellent teaching tool for robust low voices
seeking to develop intimate colors and cultivate good intonation in quiet dynamics.
The opening phrases of the song provide tremendous opportunities to sing in a
piano dynamic while focusing on consistent phonation and intonation, and after the
heavier singing required in the second and third sections, there is no need to return
to the quieter vocalism.
Lastly, Gurney’s obvious visceral connection with the poetry and subject
matter of this song infuse the piece with drama and emotion. While this often helps
students invest in a more informed dramatic interpretation, the vocal demands of
this song, in addition to the disjunct nature of the middle section, may invite vocal
problems if a singer gets “carried away” in the performance, especially leading up to
the final note of the song. Singers who are able to communicate emotionally
without letting that emotion manifest itself in the singing will find this piece
satisfying, while others may find it treacherous.
35
Summary
Big, emotional, and orchestrally conceived, “By a Bierside” requires a robust
voice able to negotiate dramatic musical shifts and emotional writing. Such a voice
will find “By a Bierside” a great opportunity to explore quieter and more intimate
colors without needing to shift back and forth between a heavier production.
Excellent breath control and comfort in and above the passaggio are needed. A
powerful, if flawed, song, “By a Bierside” provides an interesting contrast to most of
Gurney’s successful songs, is an intriguing study of the composer’s struggle in the
battlefield, and thus deserves consideration for programming.
36
CATHLEEN NI HOULIHAN
Range:
C-flat 3-F4
Best for:
Baritone, Mezzo-Soprano
Tessitura:
E3-D4
Text Source: Cathleen ni Hoolihan, play by William Butler Yeats
Location:
Oxford: Volume I, Number 10
References: Moore: 100-1; Pilkington: 10-11; Renas: 108-11
Helps with: Dramatic interpretation, robust passaggio singing, legato
Challenges: Musicianship, registration, voice/piano ensemble
Notable Recordings: Ivor Gurney: Songs: Susan Bickley (mezzo), Iain Burnside
(piano) [Naxos 2010]; Wars Embers: Michael George (bass), Stephen Varcoe
(baritone), Martyn Hill (tenor), Clifford Benson (piano) [Hyperion Helios 2006]
37
Overview
The setting of a dramatic Irish ballad by Yeats was thought by Gurney to be
among his best when he wrote it, telling Marion Scott: “My best song? Well,
perhaps…” in a letter from 1919.16 The modified strophic form serves the ballad
poetry well, with the second line of each stanza receiving new musical material and
each stanza ending with an unaccompanied refrain of “of Cathleen the daughter of
Houlihan” and several beats of silence before the off-beat accompaniment returns.
The third stanza modulates down a half step from A minor to A-flat minor to
emphasize the eeriness of the text.
16
Thornton, Ivor Gurney: Collected Letters, 476.
38
The interplay of the vocal line and the accompaniment depict a growing
storm, and this is painted from the very onset with the syncopated accompaniment
figure driving forward. The storm grows in intensity as the accompaniment
thickens and becomes increasingly chromatic with each stanza. The howling wind is
illustrated through long melismas in the vocal line, and the sudden calm of
unaccompanied singing and silence punctuate the dread.
The text comes from a play by Yeats in which Cathleen represents Ireland.
Some Irish terms used are defined as follows. Cummen Strand is an area northwest
of Sligo. The left hand from which the wind blows symbolizes bad luck. Knocknarea
is the mountain of kings, and Clooth-na-bar is a lake, both also near Sligo. A “rood”
is a crucifix.
The last iteration of the unaccompanied refrain is followed by a very brief
but effective postlude, which echoes the final vocal motive.
Studio Use
The vocal line is difficult, with disjunct and angular motion occurring
frequently. This, however, can serve as an excellent teaching tool to unify disjunct
melodies through legato singing. There are several instances of four against three
with triplets in the vocal line against the duplets in the piano, and the piano matches
the triplets in voice only in the stormy second stanza. The tessitura of the second
stanza travels through the passaggio for extended periods of time, and the middle of
the final stanza requires an ff high E natural on an open [ɛ] vowel.
39
The vocal line requires full and robust singing in and around the passaggio,
alternating with quiet vocal lines unaccompanied in the middle voice. While the
vowels and assertive style assist in these high notes, this transition back and forth
between a heavy and intimate production can prove treacherous, and as a result,
this song should likely be reserved for advanced singers with robust voices who
have mastered this type of adjustment.
A powerful and dramatic ballad, Pilkington remarks that “Cathleen ni
Houlihan” is “excellent for the singer who thinks English song is only for the
drawing-room!”17 Indeed, this song provides an exciting outlet for singers to tell a
story, and the music perfectly suits the rises and falls in the drama of the text. So
long as the impassioned portions are not oversung and excess vocal weight is not
brought up into the upper voice, singers of this song can use the excitement of the
text to assist in great vocalism.
Rhythmic challenges, hemiola, and high levels of chromaticism make this a
difficult assignment for a musically insecure student. In addition, the
accompaniment alternates between extremely supportive, with subdivision
occurring throughout, to sudden instances of block chords, where a singer must be
solely responsible for the propulsion of the vocal line, to utterly absent at the end of
each stanza. In addition to a singer needing to be secure in switching between
robust and quiet production, any student tackling this song should be very secure
both rhythmically and tonally.
17
Pilkington, Gurney, Ireland, Quilter and Warlock, 10.
40
Summary
An ambitious and successful song, “Cathleen ni Houlihan” requires an
advanced singer and musician. Vowel placement and forte dynamics aid in the
prolonged sections of passaggio singing, but the necessity for transitioning back and
forth between that style and the quiet and exposed middle voice may prove difficult.
The drama in the text is served exquisitely by the music, and for this reason, an
advanced singer should consider it as a recital piece that showcases a commanding
performer.
41
THE CLOTHS OF HEAVEN
Range:
E-flat 3-G4
Best for:
Tenor, Soprano
Tessitura:
G3-E-flat 4
Text Source: The Wind Among the Reeds by William Butler Yeats
Location:
Oxford: Volume V, Number 6
References: Banfield: 195; Pilkington: 24-5; Renas: 235-7; R. C. Smith: 57-62
Helps with: Registration, breath, phrasing, vibrant onset
Challenges: Quiet high notes, intonation
Notable Recordings: English Songs: Ian Partridge (tenor), Jennifer Partridge
(piano) [Peters International 1980]; English Songs: Ivor Gurney, Frederick Delius: Ian
Partridge (tenor), Jennifer Partridge (piano) [Etcetera KTC 1989]; Severn Meadows:
Songs by Ivor Gurney: Paul Agnew (tenor), Julius Drake (piano) [Hyperion 2001]
42
Overview
Surprisingly, this beautiful setting of William Butler Yeats’ poem, composed
in 1919, was left unpublished until 1979. The rocking 6/8 meter is indicative of a
lullaby. The accompaniment begins with a light texture and a simple eighth-note
configuration and eventually is filled in with sixteenth notes and thickens texturally.
It is meant to set a general mood of tenderness rather than to directly comment on
the vocal line. The addition of faster rhythmic values and voices in the texture
evokes the image of a tapestry, with threads and colors being added gradually
throughout the song.
This evolving accompaniment supports the unique setting of Yeats’ simple
but lovely text. The first stanza of poetry is set in a straightforward manner, almost
43
entirely syllabically. The gradual enrichment of the accompaniment and the
beginning of a similar melodic idea in the voice part leading into the second verse
indicate that this setting will be, as is common in Gurney’s songs, a modified
strophic form. The second stanza, however, possesses four individual melodic
statements, short and separated by rests in the accompaniment. This method not
only provides interest and contrast for listeners but also wonderfully communicates
the vulnerability associated with presenting one’s fragile dreams as the only gift one
can provide to his or her love.
The tonality is that of E-flat major, with numerous instances of modal
mixture with the inclusion of the minor C-flat and D-flat chords, most notably on the
emotional climax of the song with the text: “Tread softly, because you tread on my
dreams.” Pilkington suggests that “Cloths of Heaven” “…could be effective, but it
seems a rather elaborate setting for such a simple poem.”18 It is the opinion of this
writer that the song is successful precisely because of this nuanced approach to the
text, speaking to the profound vulnerability of the poem as well as to the
aforementioned imagery of an increasingly ornate tapestry.
Studio Use
The key signature of this song presents an interesting opportunity for young
high voices. Most of the melody lies within the middle voice, yet there are
prolonged Fs and Gs interpolated, all of which are marked with a pp dynamic. As a
18
Ibid., 25.
44
result, this song would serve as a superb teaching tool to utilize quiet dynamic levels
above the passaggio in high voices, though young singers still unsure of negotiation
of the registration change by leap will likely find these spots treacherous. Young
tenors, however, who are just learning to negotiate the passaggio may find this song
a helpful early performance piece dealing with these shifts, as these high notes could
easily be sung in falsetto should trouble arise mid-performance.
The regular phrases in the opening stanza and the shorter vocal statements
in the second stanza, combined with the composer’s indications for vocal phrases
and the rubato needed for optimal performance, allow for frequent breaths and
manageable phrases for young singers. Repeated pick-up notes in the 6/8 meter
provide opportunities to emphasize a vibrant and supported start to every single
phrase by ensuring each of these are well sung rather than falling into the trap of
producing these pick-up notes off the voice. Unaccompanied vocal moments after
tonal shifts approaching the passaggio may prove difficult for students who struggle
with intonation.
Summary
A beautiful setting of a poem lovely in its simplicity, “Cloths of Heaven”
boasts a pretty and memorable melody that sits mostly in the middle voice.
Interpolated pp high notes and short unaccompanied sections may prove
challenging for beginning students. This song, which sat unpublished for sixty
years, is a wonderful example of the intricacy Gurney brought to even the simplest
45
text and is worthy of performance and study for some beginning and all
intermediate and advanced students.
46
DESIRE IN SPRING
Range:
B2-E4; D3-G4
Tessitura:
Best for:
Baritone, Mezzo-Soprano, Tenor, Soprano
E3-D4; G3-F4
Text Source: Songs of the Fields by Francis Ledwidge
Location:
Oxford: Volume V, Number 2
References: Banfield: 216-7; Pilkington: 23; Renas: 221-5
Helps with: Musicianship, breathing/phrasing, vocal onset, open high notes
Challenges: Long phrases
Notable Recordings: English Songs: Ian Partridge (tenor), Jennifer Partridge
(piano) [Peters International 1980]; English Songs: Ivor Gurney, Frederick Delius: Ian
Partridge (tenor), Jennifer Partridge (piano) [Etcetera KTC 1989]; Severn and
Somme: Songs and Poems by Ivor Gurney: David Johnston (tenor), Christopher Keyte
(baritone), Daphne Ibbott (piano), Geoffrey Pratley (piano) [Pearl 1997]; A
Shropshire Lad & The Land of Lost Content: Anthony Rolfe Johnson (tenor), David
Willison (piano) [Polydor Select 1975]; Severn Meadows: Songs by Ivor Gurney: Paul
Agnew (tenor), Julius Drake (piano) [Hyperion 2001]; Songs of Travel: Anthony
Wolfe Johnson (tenor), David Willison (piano) [IMP Classics 1993]; When I Was Oneand-Twenty: Butterworth & Gurney Songs: Benjamin Luxon (baritone), David
Willison (piano) [Chandos Records 1990]
47
Overview
The opening line to this modified strophic setting speaks of “the cradle songs
the mothers sing.” Perhaps it was this sentiment that drew Gurney to this Ledwidge
poem. Gurney, who had a complicated and strained relationship with his mother,
often set poems that invoked nostalgia for his beloved Gloucester. The imagery of
this spring scene, in combination with the reference to a loving and doting mother,
must have been irresistible to the composer.
The longing for spring (i.e., for a mother’s love, for Gloucester, etc.) is
embodied by the four-sixteenth-note figuration in the right hand that continues
virtually uninterrupted throughout the song. This figure is established in a beautiful
four-measure opening in the accompaniment and continues until the final two
48
measures, where two dotted half notes give the indication of long-sought-after
satisfaction.
The vocal line is mostly conjunct and almost entirely syllabic (except for
when the vocal line takes over the sixteenth-note figure, in which each syllable gets
two). The vocal phrases are clearly marked and vary in length, leading to surprise
and contrast for listeners to wonderful effect. The vocal line also features the flat
seventh-scale degree prominently, further communicating a sense of longing and
love.
Banfield is critical of the lack of text-painting, citing the specific examples
below. This writer, however, finds these examples more than adequate when paired
with the sense of nostalgia and yearning that the piano and vocal lines create.
His scene-painting is severely limited and not very
effective: a twittering e” inverted pedal for the ‘roadside
birds’, a chromatic slow descent at ‘midday wind’ and
another, richly harmonized over a static melody note,
for ‘silent changes’, and a broadening to 4/4 for ‘long
whisper’ are about all he manages…19
Studio Use
This vocal line is a helpful one for younger singers exploring ideal phonation.
Nearly every onset is on a vowel or voiced consonant, allowing for free and open
initiation of phonation. The phrases are mostly short and manageable, with the
longer ones possessing the potential for needed catch breaths amongst consonant
clusters. In addition, this is one of the only Gurney songs published in multiple keys.
Banfield, Sensibility and English Song: Critical Studies of the Early Twentieth
Century, 216.
49
19
Each key provides an ideal vowel-pitch alignment for its respective voice type on the
highest note—E natural for low voices and G natural for high—on the word “silent.”
The flat seventh-scale degree is a great opportunity for young singers to
understand borrowed tones, and as these are not applied arbitrarily in the song but
rather to express longing or love, an emotional connection to the non-diatonic pitch
will help young musicians internalize it. In addition, the near constant sixteenthnote motion in the accompaniment will help young singers who may be slightly less
musically secure tackle the rhythmic challenges in the song.
Summary
While not an easy song, “Desire in Spring” is an excellent teaching tool for
vocal onset, open vowel passaggio negotiation, and breath and phrasing. The vocal
line is beautifully set and mostly syllabic and is an organic extension of the motivic
material of the delicate opening. Less secure musicians will find the emotional flat
seventh easier to internalize and will find the constant piano subdivision helpful
with precision with the rhythms. Short and sweet, sentimental and nostalgic,
“Desire in Spring” is a terrific choice for beginning voices.
50
DOWN BY THE SALLEY GARDENS
Range:
D-flat 3-F4
Tessitura:
Best for:
Baritone, Tenor, Mezzo-Soprano, Soprano
E-flat 3-D-flat 4
Text Source: The Wanderings of Oison and Other Poems by William Butler Yeats
Location:
Oxford: Volume I, Number 4
References: Banfield: 196; Moore: 138; Pilkington: 8; Renas: 89-91
Helps with: New musicians, breath control, passaggio (tenor/mezzo)
Challenges: Long phrases, range (young soprano/baritone)
Notable Recordings: English Songs: Ian Partridge (tenor), Jennifer Partridge
(piano) [Peters International 1980]; English Songs: Ivor Gurney, Frederick Delius: Ian
Partridge (tenor), Jennifer Partridge (piano) [Etcetera KTC 1989]; Music for a While:
Britten, Purcell, Butterworth, Dowland, Finzi, Gurney: Scot Weir (tenor), Till
Alexander Körber (piano) [Eigenart 1996]; A Shropshire Lad & The Land of Lost
Content: Anthony Rolfe Johnson (tenor), David Willison (piano) [Polydor Select
1975]; Songs by Finzi & His Friends: Stephen Roberts (baritone), Ian Partridge
(tenor), Clifford Benson (piano) [Hyperion 1981]; When I Was One-and-Twenty:
Butterworth & Gurney Songs: Benjamin Luxon (baritone), David Willison (piano),
[Chandos Records 1990]
51
Overview
One of the simplest and most beautiful songs Gurney ever composed, the
melody here is a nod to the folk song upon which Yeats likely based his poem.
Perhaps this sentimentality comes from the contentment Gurney felt while residing
with the Chapman family in the fall of 1920, during which time this and many other
of Gurney’s songs were composed. This is one of the few times during Gurney’s
post-war life when he felt secure and productive.
The song is strophic, with very little alteration between the two stanzas. The
memorable and lovely melody is evocative of a folk song, largely stepwise but with
occasional leaps of thirds and fourths. While mostly syllabic, the setting has
occasional short melismas to convey emphasis on certain words. Interestingly,
52
adding to the folk song feeling, the vocal line is completely diatonic to the key,
without a single accidental. The rhythmic augmentation on the reiteration of the
final line of text is especially lovely.
One of the simplest accompaniments Gurney ever wrote, the piano part is
largely chordal, with mostly half notes throughout. Eighth-note motion is mostly in
the prelude, interludes, and postlude and generally mimics the vocal line.
Studio Use
One of Gurney’s simplest songs both vocally and pianistically, this lovely and
tuneful song is a superb introduction to this composer’s rich art song repertoire for
beginning singers. Especially helpful for young tenors and mezzo-sopranos, the
tessitura sits easily in the upper-middle voice. The range does not extend below a
few brief D-flats and extends up to a high F, easily within the range of many
beginning tenors and mezzo-sopranos. Beginning high baritones and sopranos with
comfortable middle voices will also find this song appropriate, though the range will
likely be less well-suited for them. With the exception of the last syllable of the
word “foolish,” each ascent into the passaggio is on an open vowel, which will ease
the transition for young voices.
The vocal phrases, marked as is usually the case by Gurney, are long and
ambitious. Young students with excellent breath control may endeavor to achieve
them; however, catch breaths within these phrases are certainly possible in ways
that will not interfere with the text. Indeed, this may be an excellent song to work
53
on maximizing a young singer’s breath control, whereby he or she strives to
complete the long phrases but has “in case of emergency” breaths memorized within
the phrases.
Summary
Described by Banfield as an “intensely beautiful simple love-song,”20 “Down
By the Salley Gardens” is as lovely as it is simple. The short text, diatonic and
tuneful melody, and modest range and tessitura make this song an ideal selection
for beginning singers, especially young tenors and mezzo-sopranos. Many of the
vocal phrases are short and manageable, though a few are indicated to be quite long.
Young singers can use these long phrases to train their breath control, and the text
allows for catch breaths should they become necessary during performance.
On a personal note, this writer finds the message of the text of this song to be
especially apropos for students in all phases of life but especially early on in the
college experience. This connection to the text, and the feeling of being encouraged
to relax and not be overwhelmed with life, make this enchantingly straightforward
song all the more appealing for use in the voice studio.
20
Ibid., 196.
54
EVEN SUCH IS TIME
Range:
C3-E4
Best for:
Baritone, Mezzo-Soprano
Tessitura:
F3-D4
Text Source: The Prerogative of Parliaments by Sir Walter Raleigh (originally
“Epitaph”)
Location:
Oxford: Volume IV, Number 1
References: Banfield: 192; Moore: 87-8; Pilkington: 18; Renas: 175-8; R. C. Smith:
83-90
Helps with: Breath management, middle voice, dynamic expression
Challenges: Piano/voice ensemble, intonation, unaccompanied singing
Notable Recordings: The Dark Pastoral: Music and Poetry from World War One:
Andrew Kennedy (tenor), Julius Drake (piano), Simon Russell Beale (reader) [Altara
2008]; Severn Meadows: Songs by Ivor Gurney: Paul Agnew (tenor), Julius Drake
(piano) [Hyperion 2001]; Wars Embers: Michael George (bass), Stephen Varcoe
(baritone), Martyn Hill (tenor), Clifford Benson (piano) [Hyperion Helios 2006]
55
Overview
Composed in the trenches of World War I, “Even Such is Time” deals with the
themes of fate, death, and rebirth, and it is obvious why Gurney would be drawn to
this particular text at this time in his life. The poem was written by Sir Walter
Raleigh as he awaited his execution.
This through-composed setting uses the opening vocal motive as its unifying
agent. Examples of it can be found woven throughout the entire accompaniment.
This motive, likely indicative of the approach of death, is inverted at the end of the
piece, symbolizing rebirth or redemption. The motive is repeated alone rather than
incorporated into a thicker texture in measures 50-52 near the beginning of the long
postlude. R. C. Smith theorizes that this motive is a nod to the popular opening
56
material of Beethoven’s fifth symphony.21 Gurney felt a special kinship with
Beethoven and, as noted earlier, claimed to have spoken directly with the deceased
composer’s spirit during the later decline of his (Gurney’s) mental state.
The vocal line consists entirely of half notes and quarter notes and requires a
wide range of dynamic levels, from pp to ff. These dynamics rise and fall regularly in
two sections: during the six lines of text before the substantial interlude and in the
two lines of text that follow it. Nearly every phrase in the song is four measures
long. Melismas, as is often the case in Gurney settings, are used for text emphasis.
In this song, though, Gurney atypically employs melismas by utilizing skips of a third
and with contrary motion. This gives an impression of being unsettled, as a man
awaiting execution would likely have felt. Gurney also employs the technique of
unaccompanied singing to stress feelings of fear and tension throughout the piece,
especially notable in the song’s opening and on the words “Who in the dark…,” both
of which highlight the loneliness and vulnerability of the speaker.
Further, this song illustrates a rarely used technique in Gurney’s songs, one
in which he repeats text in his setting that is not repeated in the original text. R. C.
Smith describes it thus:
Text repetition is rare in Gurney’s songs, but the
repetition that does exist is very important and
dramatic. In this case, the colorful line “Shuts up the
story of our days” emphasizes the weight of impending
death by repeating “Shuts up” with tenuto markings
over both repetitions.22
21
22
Smith, R. C., “The Songs of Ivor Gurney,” 87.
Ibid., 89.
57
Studio Use
The vocal line exists in an extremely comfortable range and tessitura for
young low voices. The lone high E natural is approached with an ornamented
leading tone up from D-sharp/E-flat and is on an open neutral vowel. While the
range and tessitura are comfortable, the dynamic range required is extensive: from
pianissimo to fortissimo. This provides an effective teaching opportunity for wellsung and supported middle voice singing at a variety of volume levels. Without the
need to prepare for the passaggio, a multitude of vocal colors and weights can be
experimented with to achieve different dynamic levels in the middle voice. The
regularity of the length of vocal phrases and the rests that surround them make this
an ideal choice for students who are still working to gain control over their breath
management and phrasing.
Musically insecure students may find this song challenging, as the
accompaniment is not rhythmically supportive of the melody, nor is it melodically
supportive during the disjunct melismatic passages. This song contains several
unaccompanied sections, quite a few even in light of Gurney’s penchant for utilizing
this technique. The lack of piano support may lead to insecurity on many fronts in
students who are weaker musicians.
58
Summary
A dramatic setting of a fatalistic poem, this trench song lies very comfortably
in the vocal range for low medium voices. The regular vocal phrases will allow
students without mastery of breath management to successfully explore this song.
The extensive dynamic range allows for the cultivation of varied colors in the middle
voice, but an unsupportive accompaniment may make the song unsettling for less
secure musicians. As a psychological study of Gurney’s grappling with death and
redemption in the trenches of World War I, this song warrants consideration in the
studio and on the recital stage.
59
THE FOLLY OF BEING COMFORTED
Range:
C-sharp3-G-sharp 4 (f#4)
Best for:
Tenor, Mezzo-Soprano
Tessitura:
E3-D-sharp 4
Text Source: In the Seven Woods by William Butler Yeats
Location:
Oxford: Volume II, Number 7
References: Banfield: 192-5; Herendeen: 63-73; Moore: 90-1; Pilkington: 13;
Renas: 130-4
Helps with: Long vocal phrases, dramatic interpretation, dynamic contrast
Challenges: Varied tessitura, intonation, unaccompanied singing, wide range
Notable Recordings: English Songs: Ian Partridge (tenor), Jennifer Partridge
(piano) [Peters International 1980]; English Songs: Ivor Gurney, Frederick Delius: Ian
Partridge (tenor), Jennifer Partridge (piano) [Etcetera KTC 1989]; Severn Meadows:
Songs by Ivor Gurney: Paul Agnew (tenor), Julius Drake (piano) [Hyperion 2001];
When I Was One-and-Twenty: Butterworth & Gurney Songs: Benjamin Luxon
(baritone), David Willison (piano) [Chandos Records 1990]
60
Overview
An intensely emotional, through-composed setting of Yeats’ poem, “The Folly
of Being Comforted” was written during one of Gurney’s stays in a war hospital in
the autumn of 1917—not while in the trenches, as Pilkington asserts.23 The
inspiration for this song was likely Gurney’s infatuation with nurse Annie
Drummond. Their ill-fated relationship was beginning around this time.
Herendeen, in his analysis, doubts this assertion:
Significant by its absence, within the letters written
during these early weeks in hospital, is any mention of
Nurse Drummond. What is seen, however, are
recurring themes of nature, purpose, art, camaraderie
and hope for the future - all common thoughts in his
war expressions. Considering the above, it is far more
23
Pilkington, Gurney, Ireland, Quilter and Warlock, 13.
61
supportable that Gurney wrote not of a person, but of
England itself when he set the words “time can but
make her beauty over again”.24
Given the intensity of his feelings for Drummond, however, as expressed in his
letters, it seems likely to this author that even if the subject of the setting is indeed
England rather than Drummond, it was the early stages of attraction and romantic
sentiment that inspired the bed-ridden composer to craft this hitherto unexplored
personification of England as a beautiful woman.
The vocal line of this song is demanding, to be sure. Though comprised
mostly of stepwise motion and simple skips, and set almost exclusively syllabically,
the vocal phrases begin short and expand over the course of the song. So, too, do the
rhythmic values augment. Short phrases almost entirely devoid of sustained notes
give way to increased prolongation until the final phrase, a seven-measure-long
phrase consisting only of the words “of being comforted.” Foregoing his common
techinque of emphasizing syllables through well-placed melismas, in this song
Gurney instead frequently utilizes the tactic of strategically placed unaccompanied
singing. This can be found throughout the song punctuating the most important
syllables in the piece. There seems to be almost two different climaxes to the song
in the vocal line. This atypical occurrence results from Gurney’s omission of the
poetic climax of the poem when he set the song in one sitting, likely from memory.
He details this in a letter to Marion Scott:
Herendeen, “Lanes of Severn: Ivor Gurney as Illustrated by His War
Songs, 1915-1918,” 68.
62
24
(It was written in one sitting the night after I had been
up all night helping in the wards. Some stunt!) Well, I
finished a fairly completed written sketch, and then
found out I had left out ‘The fire that burns about her
when she stirs Burns but more clearly’. O Blasphemy!
My balance upset!25
As is common in Gurney’s war songs, especially in nonstrophic settings, one
musical motive serves as a binding figure for the entire piece. In “The Folly of Being
Comforted,” this unifying material is in the right hand during the opening two
measures of the song. This musical idea can be found accompanied by chords in the
left hand or with a countermelody in contrary motion throughout the entire piece.
Special attention is paid to the interludes between stanzas in this piece, which are
derived from the opening motive of the song but are harmonized in increasingly
chromatic fashion. This is indicative of the poet’s thoughts inevitably turning to his
lost love in spite of every attempt at comfort. The increasing complexity of these
interludes harmonically suggests that the passage of time makes this yearning more
intense rather than fading as the would-be comforters suggest. Toward the end of
the song, the piano fades away to allow for extended passages of unaccompanied
singing, suggesting final acceptance of a lonely fate.
Studio Use
Gurney’s setting captures the emotional content of the poetry brilliantly, but
his techniques require much of the singer who undertakes this song. Gradually
increasingly long phrases require exceptional breath control, especially the final two
25
Thornton, Ivor Gurney: Collected Letters, 359.
63
phrases in the lower-middle voice. Fortunately, the tempo and rests provide
opportunities to take the breaths needed to complete these phrases.
The range and tessitura make this piece difficult for less experienced singers.
With prolonged passages in the lower-middle voice and two vocal climaxes in and
above the passaggio, this song is likely best for a tenor with a comfortable middle
voice and mezzo-sopranos with facility up top. Mezzos, as well as adventurous high
baritones, may wish to take advantage of the optional note written to replace the
high G-sharp on the first syllable of “again.” This ossia creates dual climaxes on Fsharp, challenging enough within the confines of this short, dramatic piece.
Passages of unaccompanied singing at a quiet dynamic level also challenge
singers, especially in the realm of intonation. The last couple of phrases will
particularly challenge young mezzo-sopranos, with the unaccompanied singing
through the first passaggio. The unaccompanied piano singing is made even more
taxing when juxtaposed with the two forte climaxes in the upper voice.
Summary
A wonderfully dramatic and brilliantly set wartime song, “The Folly of Being
Comforted” presents a challenging yet rewarding task for intermediate to advanced
tenors and mezzo-sopranos—and perhaps even high baritones or wide-ranged
sopranos. Through-composed, emotional, and orchestrally conceived, this song is
quasi-operatic in its construction and in its ideal performance. An excellent
stepping stone toward operatic arias or the demanding art song repertoire of
64
Mahler or Strauss, “The Folly of Being Comforted” is rarely performed yet deserving
of consideration.
65
IN FLANDERS
Range:
C-sharp 3-F4
Best for:
Baritone, Tenor, Mezzo-Soprano
Tessitura:
E-flat 3-C4
Text Source: A Gloucestershire Lad at Home and Abroad by Frederick William
Harvey
Location:
Oxford: Volume IV, Number 10
References: Banfield: 190-2, 211; Herendeen: 36-41; Moore: 85-6; Pilkington: 22;
Renas: 205-11; R. C. Smith: 75-83
Helps with: Breath control/phrasing, dramatic interpretation, vibrant phrase
starts, passaggio
Challenges: Intonation, range
Notable Recordings: The Dark Pastoral: Music and Poetry from World War One:
Andrew Kennedy (tenor), Julius Drake (piano), Simon Russell Beale (reader) [Altara
2008]; Music for a While: Britten, Purcell, Butterworth, Dowland, Finzi, Gurney: Scot
Weir (tenor), Till Alexander Körber (piano) [Eigenart 1996]; Severn and Somme:
Songs and Poems by Ivor Gurney: David Johnston (tenor), Christopher Keyte (tenor),
Daphne Ibbott (piano), Geoffrey Pratley (piano) [Pearl 1977]; Songs by Finzi & His
Friends: Stephen Roberts (baritone), Ian Partridge (tenor), Clifford Benson (piano)
[Hyperion 1981]; Severn Meadows: Songs by Ivor Gurney: Paul Agnew (tenor), Julius
66
Drake (piano) [Hyperion 2001]; When I Was One-and-Twenty: Butterworth & Gurney
Songs: Benjamin Luxon (baritone), David Willison (piano) [Chandos Records 1990]
Overview
The poetry Gurney set for this song was written by one of his closest lifelong
friends, F.W. Harvey. Both the poem and the song were composed in the trenches of
World War I. The second of Gurney’s “trench songs,” “In Flanders” was composed
while Harvey was MIA and presumed killed in battle. Harvey was later found to
have been at a German prisoner of war camp.
In a modified rondo form, “In Flanders” is intensely nostalgic for the beauty
of Gloucestershire in both text and musical setting. Gurney employs various textpainting techniques in the accompaniment to pictorially describe his beloved home.
R. C. Smith discusses some of these in the following way:
67
For the heights of the Cotswold hills he uses a pattern of
ascending octave triplets- arriving at a large eight note
chord at the peak. A few measures later… the piano
part plays octaves in a relatively high register, which
perhaps suggests the height of the giant clouds over the
Malvern hills. This is followed by heavy chords in a
lower register, perhaps representing the jagged ridge of
the Malvern hills.26
In addition to the text-painting, Gurney utilizes the accompaniment in a
clever way to paint the keen yearning for a return to the idyllic countryside. After a
startlingly static prelude, the piano moves from mostly quarter notes, quickening to
eighth notes, and then hastening to eighth-note triplets. The sensation of longing
that is achieved through this technique, especially when coupled with the twoagainst-three feeling created when the triplets are juxtaposed with the duplets in
the voice, is very effective.
With the exception of a melisma on the word “royally,” the vocal line is
entirely syllabic. When combined with the lack of customary slurs that Gurney is
inclined to include in his vocal scores and the frequent use of tenudos, this indicates
a uniquely declamatory style of singing intended for the singer. The vocal line, too,
paints imagery of Gurney’s longed-for Gloucester, as the vocal line dips low and is
accompanied chordally on the phrase “Where the land is low/Like a huge
imprisoning O.”
It is worth noting that this song was conceived orchestrally, and Herbert
Howells orchestrated it for performance back at the Royal College of Music while
Gurney remained in the trenches of World War I. It is likely as a reaction to this
26
Smith, R. C., “The Songs of Ivor Gurney,” 76.
68
orchestration, which Howells lowered a half step from Gurney’s original E major to
E-flat major to accommodate the baritone singer, that Oxford University Press
published the lowered piano-vocal version.
Studio Use
The range and tessitura of the vocal line make it ideal for medium voices;
however, sopranos may find the tessitura sits a bit low. Lacking the usual indicators
of vocal phrasing, this song relies upon the singer to interpret the text for phrases.
This job is made easier by the declamatory and syllabic setting, as well as by
Gurney’s painstaking work to set his dear friend’s words. The resultant phrases can
be adjusted to suit the needs and desires of the individual interpreter, and as a
result, this song can serve as a teaching tool for vocal phrasing and breath control.
Much more so than if the song had been published in the original key a half
step higher, the vowels and highest pitches line up well, especially for intermediate
to advanced baritones and mezzo-sopranos, and should accommodate tenors of
most experience levels. Tenors particularly may find the lowest phrase difficult,
that on the text that begins “Where the land is low…” However, the subsequent
color would serve the text well, and this may help young tenors gain confidence and
core in the low voice. The prolonged B-flat at the end of the piece at a piano
dynamic may be troublesome intonation-wise, especially with female singers.
The majority of the phrases in the song begin with eighth-note pick-up notes.
These serve as an excellent opportunity to develop vibrant supported singing on
69
short pick-up note entrances. If a student struggles with this concept, the syllabic
and declamatory vocal writing can help to ease the import of this fault in
performance if necessary.
Summary
An intensely personal song woven with the experience of trench warfare and
infused with the feelings of loss for a dear friend, “In Flanders” was regarded by
Gurney himself to be among his greatest songs. The vocal line, especially in the
published key versus the original, is ideal for intermediate middle voices and any
level of tenor. The declamatory style creates opportunities for young singers to
experiment with vocal phrasing, and multiple pick-up notes allow students to
develop vibrant and supported sound from the very onset of each phrase. The vivid
musical imagery and emotional circumstances surrounding the composition make
this song an interesting one for recital programming and a worthwhile
consideration for the studio.
70
THE NIGHT OF TRAFALGAR
Range:
D3-F4
Best for:
Baritone
Tessitura:
D3-D4
Text Source: The Dynasts, a play by Thomas Hardy
Location:
Oxford: Volume V, Number 8
References: Pilkington: 25; Renas: 242-5
Helps with: Breath management, dramatic interpretation
Challenges: Diction, phrasing, varied tessitura
Notable Recordings: Wars Embers: Michael George (bass), Stephen Varcoe
(baritone), Martyn Hill (tenor), Clifford Benson (piano) [Hyperion Helios 2006]
71
Overview
Written in 1913 before returning to the Royal College of Music for the fall,
“The Night of Trafalgar” was likely composed as an homage to another sea song by
his first RCM composition professor, Charles Stanford. Renas observes: “The two
songs share many traits, among them the subject matter (a windy night at sea), key
(d dorian), voice type, and mood.”27
Beginning with a prelude that sets the stormy tone for this rollicking seasong, the piano part is built upon firm, continuous block chords, either in quarternote or eighth-note length, on the beat. Occasionally, eighth notes or triplets fill the
Renas, “The Songs of Ivor Gurney as Published by Oxford University
Press: A Repertoire Guide,” 243.
72
27
spaces between the beats, especially during the interludes that occur in the middle
of each stanza and between the three stanzas themselves. These function mainly to
ornament the primary function of the accompaniment, which is to propel the song
forward with the excitement and power of the sea during a storm. This song is
uncharacteristically tonally stable, modulating only once briefly in each stanza to
the flattened second. Once the third stanza is capped off with a coda consisting of a
repetition of the last line of text, there is a quiet postlude built from the musical
material of the introduction, depicting the sense of the storm continuing to rage in
the distance as it moves further out to sea.
The vocal line of the song is extremely disjunct, consisting of all manner of
steps, skips, and leaps and the outlining of various triads and seven chords. Each
stanza possesses two smaller sections and continues in a modified strophic form
throughout until the vocal coda. The repetition of musical ideas and disjunct,
declamatory vocal writing is evocative of a dramatic and masterfully told story of
battle in a tempest.
Studio Use
Pilkington describes this song as requiring “a strong voice and clear
diction.”28 The bombastic accompaniment, fast tempo, and disjunct melody work
against the necessary attention to text communication in this raconteur’s sea-song.
28
Pilkington, Gurney, Ireland, Quilter and Warlock, 25.
73
This will be especially challenging for students who struggle to fully phonate on
voiced consonants and support their vocal sound through final syllables of phrases.
The vocal line sits relatively low, except for one or two brief passages in each
stanza that travel through the passaggio. The low tessitura throughout the majority
of the song makes it a poor choice for tenors, and it is a potentially hazardous choice
for young baritones who are learning to maneuver through this vocal transition. A
naturally robust voice would suit this song best, as the inclination to make the
middle-voice singing over an active accompaniment too heavy will be lessened.
Most of the vowel pitch alignment will help to facilitate these high passages, with the
exception of the vocal coda, where the singer is asked to sing a high f on the [i]
vowel. Special attention to rounded buccal formation and gathered sound will be
necessary here, as well as a vowel modification toward [I] or [e].
A dramatic and exciting tale, this song should bring out the inner storyteller
of every student to whom it is assigned. So long as young baritones avoid the
temptation to overproduce the low-middle voice in response to the active
accompaniment, this characterization should aid in the best vocalism, providing
forward-moving breath momentum and energetic consonants. Vocal phrases are
mostly short, though these short phrase lengths in combination with the rapid
tempo will lead to the possibility of “stacking the breath,” whereby a singer does not
exhale unused air before taking a catch breath. This is an excellent teaching song for
“breathing for the phrase” rather than inhaling the maximum amount of air possible
at every breath opportunity.
74
Summary
This song is an exciting choice that could certainly add variety to a set of
other Gurney songs. Ideally suited for a robust baritone voice with facility in the
upper-middle and a flare for the dramatic, teachers should consider using this song
to develop appropriate inhalation for the phrase to come as intermediate and
advanced students gain more refined control over their breath mechanisms.
75
SEVERN MEADOWS
Range:
B2-D4
Best for:
Baritone, Mezzo-Soprano
Tessitura:
D3-D4
Text Source: Severn and Somme by Ivor Gurney
Location:
Oxford: Volume V, Number 3
References: Banfield: 135, 192; Herendeen: 42-45; Moore: 86-7; Pilkington: 24;
Renas: 226-9; R. C. Smith: 62-7
Helps with: Harmonic and rhythmic security, recital variety, middle voice
Challenges: Long phrases
Notable Recordings: British Songs: Valerie Baulard (mezzo-soprano), Simon Wright
(piano) [Max Sound 1995]; The Dark Pastoral: Music and Poetry from World War
One: Andrew Kennedy (tenor), Julius Drake (piano), Simon Russell Beale (reader)
[Altara 2008]; English Songs: Ian Partridge (tenor), Jennifer Partridge (piano)
[Peters International 1980]; English Songs: Ivor Gurney, Frederick Delius: Ian
Partridge (tenor), Jennifer Partridge (piano) [Etcetera Amsterdam 1989]; Severn
and Somme: Songs and Poems by Ivor Gurney: David Johnston (tenor), Christopher
Keyte (baritone), Daphne Ibbott (piano), Geoffrey Pratley (piano) [Pearl 1997];
Severn Meadows: Songs by Ivor Gurney: Paul Agnew (tenor), Julius Drake (piano)
[Hyperion 2001]; Wars Embers: Michael George (bass), Stephen Varcoe (baritone),
76
Martyn Hill (tenor), Clifford Benson (piano) [Hyperion Helios 2006]; When I Was
One-and-Twenty: Butterworth & Gurney Songs: Benjamin Luxon (baritone), David
Willison (piano) [Chandos Records 1990]
Overview
The third of Gurney’s trench songs, “Severn Meadows” is significant for many
reasons, chief among them that it is the only published example of Gurney setting
his own text. Also noteworthy are the brevity of the song and the lack of imagery
that usually inspired Gurney to set a text. Straying from the dramatic and emotional
settings that dominated Gurney’s output during his time composing in the trenches,
77
this song is intimate in its longing nostalgia for home. Pilkington concisely describes
the song as “two short pages of pure anguish, almost unbearable in its controlled
emotion; a great song.”29
Two short and simple quatrains are set in modified strophic from, with the
second stanza extended musically from the first. As is common in Gurney’s songs,
the tonal shifts are not accomplished through ordinary dominant and tonic cadences
but rather through seventh chords and use of the supertonic, submediant, and
subtonic. This song is particularly tonally ambiguous, cadencing on a D major with
an added sixth after beginning on an e minor 7. Frequent suspensions, especially
across downbeats, add to this tonal ambiguity. The lack of a tonal home is one long
musical nod to the idea of wandering or of being separated from one’s comfortable
home.
The vocal line of the piece is mostly stepwise with occasional skips and is
almost exclusively half notes or longer in a drawn-out depiction of the natural
rhythm of the text, implying wistfulness or longing. These longer rhythms contrast
with the quarter-note motion in the right hand of the accompaniment, while the left
hand moves in similar rhythmic values but in contrary motion.
Studio Use
“Severn Meadows” is an exercise not only in emotional restraint but also in
breath control. Seemingly manageable three- and four-measure-long phrases
29
Pilkington, Gurney, Ireland, Quilter and Warlock, 24.
78
require significant breath control given the lento tempo, the composer’s own phrase
markings, and the exposure of the text (making catch breaths much more
noticeable). While tonally and rhythmically ambiguous as a result of frequent
suspensions across barlines, intermediate musicians should have no problem
performing the musical content with confidence. The vocal range lies comfortably
for any low or medium voice.
This piece is ideal for recital selection, especially in tandem with Gurney’s
setting of “In Flanders,” as the nostalgia for home and the circumstances
surrounding the composition are so similar. “Severn Meadows” would be a great
choice in a program to provide vocal rest for a singer while ensuring that breath
support remains low and controlled. The fact that such a rest and reset can occur
over such a beautiful song is definitely a bonus.
Summary
“Severn Meadows” is a hauntingly beautiful song, especially when presented
in tandem with “In Flanders” and Gurney’s other trench songs. Possessing little
difficulty for any intermediate-level student with a low or medium voice (aside from
long vocal phrases), this piece would make an excellent choice for recitals to reset
the vocal mechanism and the dramatic palate. This writer agrees with the
conclusion drawn by Herendeen:
Through ‘In Flanders’, Gurney and Harvey voiced a
mutual longing. In ‘Severn Meadows’, without Harvey,
he remained emotionally and thematically attached, and
composed what is essentially an epilogue to that first
79
collaboration. In support of this, the two songs should
be performed together. Doing so supplies the needed
background that turns the wistful mood of a first
hearing into a darker experience.30
30
Herendeen, ““Lanes of Severn”: IG, as illustrated by his war songs,1915-1918,” 45.
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SLEEP
Range:
B-flat 2-F4, D-flat3-A-flat 4
Tessitura: C3-D4, E-flat3-F4
Best for:
Baritone, Mezzo-Soprano (Bb), Tenor, Soprano (Db)
Text Source: The Woman Hater, a play attributed to Francis Beaumont and John
Fletcher. Gurney indicated this text as being written by Fletcher.
Location:
Boosey & Hawkes: Five Elizabethan Songs (public domain)
References: Banfield: 181, 187-8, 190, 195; Moore: 80-1; Pilkington: 33; D. K.
Smith: 110-7, 138-49; R. C. Smith: 67-75
Helps with: Rhythmic accuracy, legato, vowel-pitch alignment
Challenges: Vocal phrasing, poetic structure
Notable Recordings: An Anthology of English Song: Janet Baker (mezzo-soprano),
Martin Isepp (piano) [Saga Records 1973]; British Songs: Valerie Baulard (mezzosoprano), Gerald Moore (piano) [Max Sound 1995]; Dreams and Fancies: Favourite
Songs in English: Sarah Walker (mezzo-soprano), Roger Vignoles (piano) [CRD
Cassette 1992]; Ivor Gurney: Songs: Susan Bickley (mezzo), Iain Burnside (piano)
[Naxos 2010]; My Heart Is Like a Singing Bird: Songs By Parry, Stanford, Quilter,
Warlock & Gurney: Sarah Leonard (soprano), Malcolm Martineau (piano) [IMP
Classics 1992]; Severn and Somme: Songs and Poems by Ivor Gurney: David Johnston
(tenor), Christopher Keyte (baritone), Daphne Ibbott (piano), Geoffrey Pratley
81
(piano) [Pearl 1997]; Songs by Finzi & His Friends: Stephen Roberts (baritone), Ian
Partridge (tenor), Clifford Benson (piano) [Hyperion 1981]; Severn Meadows: Songs
by Ivor Gurney: Paul Agnew (tenor), Julius Drake (piano) [Hyperion 2001];
Wars Embers: Michael George (bass), Stephen Varcoe (baritone), Martyn Hill
(tenor), Clifford Benson (piano) [Hyperion Helios 2006]; When I Was One-andTwenty: Butterworth & Gurney Songs: Benjamin Luxon (baritone), David Willison
(piano) [Chandos Records 1990]
82
Overview
Perhaps the best of Gurney’s songs, and almost certainly the most wellknown, “Sleep” is the fourth from his set titled Five Elizabethan Songs. Gurney, who
referred to this set as the “Lizas,” thought them almost divinely inspired, remarking,
“I have done 5 of the most delightful and beautiful songs you ever cast your beaming
eyes upon… How did such an undigested clod as I make them?”31 Indeed, composed
in 1914 during his early studies, this set of songs, with “Sleep” in particular, marks
an immense step forward in Gurney’s compositional faculties.
The construction of the song epitomizes Gurney’s most consistently
successful approaches. The poem consists of two stanzas, and Gurney’s setting
could best be described as modified strophic form. Great variety exists between the
two stanzas, as necessitated by the text. Gurney, rather than set the poetic ideas as
separate phrases, instead groups his vocal phrases into complete thoughts. In this
way, he predicts the successes he would achieve in his through-composed ballad
songs. This synthesis of strophic and through-composed approaches results in only
four phrases for the entire song, the final and longest of which is eighteen measures
long.
The vocal line is set mostly syllabically, with wonderful exceptions taking the
form of melismas on emphasized words such as “feel,” “idle,” and “fancy.” These
instances of melismas prove to be exceptionally expressive in the context of the
31
Thornton, Ivor Gurney: Collected Letters, 10.
83
otherwise syllabic setting. Throughout each of the two stanzas, the vocal line
ascends in pitch and dynamic level, climaxing in the highest note on the word “joys.”
Interestingly, the only entrance on a strong beat in the vocal line is the very
first. All subsequent entrances occur off the beat. This often occurs in conjunction
with a sustained note carrying over to the beginning of the following measure, even
as the harmony shifts, creating disparate effects depending upon the interaction of
this held note with the concurrent harmony. Kenneth Smith describes this
phenomenon as follows:
Many times notes are held over the barline and sound
like 9ths or suspensions because of an underlying
change of harmony on the downbeat of the next
measure. The effect can be dissonant, representing a
yearning… or unexpectedly consonant, giving a sense of
repose, as in mm. 17-19…32
This technique represents the concept of sleep beautifully, longing for respite away
from whatever realities cause despair in the speaker, while highlighting the
fogginess of exhaustion.
The accompaniment is meant to be evocative of the dreamy state that exists
between wakefulness and slumber rather than for specific text-painting. One vivid
departure exists after the text “all my fancies,” when Gurney places a seemingly
unrelated figuration in the piano that can only be described as fanciful. The next
vocal motive is derived from this fanciful piano motive when the singer describes he
Smith, D. K., “An Interpretive Analysis of Three Early Songs of Ivor Gurney
(1890-1937): ‘Song of Ciabhan,’ ‘Tears,’ and ‘Severn Meadows,’” 70.
84
32
or she feels an influence from his or her fancies. The singer’s melody is literally
influenced by the depiction of fancies in the accompaniment.
The tonal ambiguity in the opening accompaniment also depicts this inbetween state beautifully, omitting the tonic note from the strong beats. This
harmonic uncertainty remains until the fourth measure, when the tonic is heard in
the left hand of the piano. The harmony finally cadences in the relative major in the
song’s postlude, suggesting some measure of respite at last occurring.
Studio Use
While exceedingly beautiful, the vocal line requires specific consideration
before “Sleep” can be assigned to a student. The vocal phrases are exceptionally
long, with the final phrase continuing for eighteen measures. While catch breaths
can be taken, and even some rests are provided to facilitate this, the momentum and
energy must continue across these breaths. Crescendos, too, must continue across
rests, as when a crescendo begins on the text “an influence” and continues through
“all my powers.” These long phrases are a result of Gurney’s avoidance of utilizing
the poetic structure and rhyme scheme as a blueprint for his melodic setting. These
are often elided to create longer phrases that coincide with thought rather than
form. As a result, singers must fight the urge to punctuate these rhymes and rests
within the long vocal constructions and must have a keen sense for where the
linguistic and dramatic emphasis lies. Fortunately, a musically supportive setting
aids students in this interpretation.
85
Available in two keys (the high key is almost certainly the original), this piece
is uniquely suited to aid all voice types. This is especially evident in the climax of
the song on the text “all my joys,” wherein the vocal line ascends above the
passaggio after a lead up on open vowels to end on an open, warm, and round
vowel. This shape and approach should benefit all voice types with ease of
production and high rates of success.
Rhythmically complex, the vocal line only enters on the downbeat once, on
the very first entrance. After this, it is imperative that a singer keep a strong sense
of subdivision in order to be musically accurate. Luckily, Gurney’s choice of
constant sixteenth-note motion to create a sense of insomnia makes this task easier,
as the subdivision is present consistently in the piano.
Summary
Hauntingly beautiful, “Sleep” presents a deceptively difficult vocal line atop a
hypnotically atmospheric accompaniment. Mastery of vocal phrasing and breath
control is needed, as is a strong rhythmic sense. These demands are eased through
Gurney’s masterpiece setting, as are the vocal demands through excellent vowelpitch alignment. While exploring Gurney’s lesser-known repertoire should be a goal
for students and teachers alike, “Sleep” should retain its well-deserved standing in
the catalogue of song for studios and recital stages.
86
THOU DIDST DELIGHT MY EYES
Range:
D-flat 3-E flat 4
Tessitura:
Best for:
Baritone, Tenor, Mezzo-Soprano
E flat 3-D flat 4
Text Source: Shorter Poems, Book III, Robert Bridges
Location:
Oxford: Volume III, Number 8
References: Banfield: 196, 206-7; Moore: 169; Pilkington: 17; Renas: 166
Helps with: Vocal onset, registration, legato, dramatic interpretation
Challenges: Voice-piano ensemble
Notable Recordings: Ivor Gurney: Songs: Susan Bickley (mezzo), Iain Burnside
(piano) [Naxos 2010]; Wars Embers: Michael George (bass), Stephen Varcoe
(baritone), Martyn Hill (tenor), Clifford Benson (piano) [Hyperion Helios 2006]
87
Overview
One of Gurney’s finest songs, “Thou Didst Delight My Eyes” is an excellent
example of the composer’s preference for modified strophic form. Renas makes
mention of the key of D-flat, a tonality Gurney employs often to convey warmth and
feelings of love.33 Each stroph of the song incorporates more rhythmic and
harmonic variation as the poetry becomes more intense. After each verse, there is
an instrumental piano commentary.
Renas, “The Songs of Ivor Gurney as Published by Oxford University Press: A
Repertoire Guide,” 168.
88
33
The accompaniment begins with a syncopated quarter-note accompaniment
against the vocal line. These chords evoke the image of a throbbing heart, yet the
accompaniment’s opposition to the vocal line highlights the separation the singer
feels from the object of his or her love. Pilkington remarks that this accompaniment
figure is challenging for young and insecure singers; however, in spite of the
difficulty created by the syncopated accompaniment in the opening of each stanza of
the song, Banfield correctly posits that the piano is more helpful than not in this
setting. Gurney’s tendency toward meandering tonality is much more contained
here, and the piano is both tonally and emotionally supportive of the singer. The
climax of the song encapsulates not only the mood of the entire song but also
comments on Gurney’s life in a compelling way. Banfield describes it as such:
The climax and its image are very heavily loaded with
emotion, the mixture of fulfillment at having been
‘cheered’, if only fleetingly, and tragedy at lasting selfloss being beautifully expressed in Gurney’s setting of
the final word, ‘castaway’, not on the tonic as a
conclusion to the preceding downward scale but on the
somewhat interrogatory dominant. The song is perhaps
valedictory to Gurney’s life, cheered so briefly by his
creative vision, cast away as it eventually was.34
Studio Use
The accompaniment, while more tonally supportive than many Gurney songs,
may prove challenging to inexperienced and insecure musicians. This may,
however, be an excellent opportunity to cultivate voice-piano independence and
Banfield, Sensibility and English Song: Critical Studies of the Early Twentieth
Century, 207.
89
34
internal subdivision in an intermediate or advanced student. The setting of the text
is entirely syllabic. This should aid in memorization, as will the modified strophic
form, but this can prove to be a challenge for students who are struggling with jaw
and tongue relaxation. The text, though, is beautiful, and the setting wonderfully
captures the spirit behind it. A lovely and memorable melody enhances this,
providing easier memorization and huge potential for personal interpretation. The
performance of this song is a superb opportunity to encourage a student to engage
emotionally with a character or experience, as unrequited love from afar is a
universal phenomenon of the human condition.
This song is of particular value when working with students who struggle
with the onset of phonation. Nearly every phrase in the song begins with a voiced
consonant, allowing for students to initiate phonation while avoiding the traps of
either breathy or pressed phonation. One notable exception, found in the phrase
beginning with “Ah! little praise,” allows for the opportunity to attempt onset on a
vowel in an expression of emotion. A male student, especially a baritone, who is
working toward mastering registration, will find this song very helpful. The highest
notes are approached by leap and occur on a closed vowel, allowing these students
to experience the “turning over” of the voice. Gurney, as he often did, has marked
his longer poetic passages with his preferred phrasing. This will aid beginning and
intermediate students in planning for breaths and singing phrases that are quite
manageable. Rubato should be employed liberally and should also aid in breath
management.
90
Summary
One of Gurney’s most beautiful songs, “Thou Didst Delight My Eyes” merits
the consideration of any performer investigating Gurney’s repertoire. While the
accompaniment may dissuade inexperienced musicians in the studio, the lessons
afforded in vocal onset, registration, legato, and interpretation make this song
worthy of the attention of various intermediate-level students.
91
THE TWA CORBIES
Range:
C3-F4
Best for:
Baritone, Mezzo-Soprano
Tessitura:
E3-C4
Text Source: Scottish border ballad
Location:
Oxford: Volume V, Number 9
References: Banfield: 183, 186, 195; Moore: 78-9; Pilkington: 25-26; Renas 246-9
Helps with: Dramatic interpretation, baritone registration
Challenges: Breathing/phrasing
Notable Recordings: Wars Embers: Michael George (bass), Stephen Varcoe
(baritone), Martyn Hill (tenor), Clifford Benson (piano) [Hyperion Helios 2006];
When I Was One-and-Twenty: Butterworth & Gurney Songs: Benjamin Luxon
(baritone), David Willison (piano) [Chandos Records 1990]
92
Overview
Described by Gurney himself as “a man’s song,”35 this through-composed
ballad tells the tale of a fallen solider and the musings of the crows who are about to
devour his corpse. The opening piano line is reminiscent of a funeral march, and the
five-note figure serves to unite the accompaniment of the entire song. The narrative
in the vocal line is punctuated by frequent leaps of fourths, fifths, and sixths. The
first two and the final of the five stanzas are treated very similarly musically, with an
ominous and mysterious setting. In the third stanza, there is a sudden shift tonally.
Banfield asserts that this modulation is not necessarily in service to the text but
35
Thornton, Ivor Gurney: Collected Letters, 114.
93
rather to build musical tension into the structure of the song as a “vastly expanded
secondary dominant” for its eventual arrival in the dramatic fourth stanza.36 In this
verse, the crows describe the exact plans they have for the body of the fallen soldier,
and the song climaxes on the word “bare” on a prolonged E natural for the singer.
Renas vividly describes this dramatic episode:
A modulation to the enharmonic parallel minor, c sharp,
and a more expansive piano part signals the
commencement of stanza four. The quick, sharp
pecking movements of the two ravens (corbies) pecking
the eyes out of the skull are depicted by the repeated
notes and the plosive consonants, [p], [k], and [t], on
“pike out.” The beauty of the knight’s golden hair is
illustrated by another melisma. The song’s musical
climax occurs with a return to the tonic, a minor, when
the ravens realize that after they have had their fill of
the meat of the body, they can build their home and
future in leftover bones of the skeleton. 37
The final stanza returns to the musical material of the opening by virtue of a
piano interlude. But instead of continuing as in the opening, the postlude is
interrupted by several prolonged silences, as if to communicate the passage of time
or fading of memory. The climax of the final section of the song is communicated
through a quiet sadness or horror, with pp in the voice and ppp in the piano. The
final cadence is plagal, perhaps communicating respite at last for the fallen soldier.
Banfield, Sensibility and English Song: Critical Studies of the Early Twentieth
Century, 183.
37 Renas, “The Songs of Ivor Gurney as Published by Oxford University
Press: A Repertoire Guide,” 248.
94
36
Studio Use
This wonderfully dramatic narrative is an excellent choice for intermediate
and advanced baritones. The ghost story quality helps young students connect with
the text, and the dramatic interpretation is aided by the fantastic and emotional
setting. This ballad is served from beginning to end by the music and is a fantastic
teaching tool for young singers to find and portray a character. This element is
enhanced by the Scottish dialect employed in the text, specifically words such as
“corbies,” “fail-dyke,” “haus bane,” and “theek.” These words represent crows or
ravens, an earthen wall, neck bone, and to thicken, respectively.
The distinctly marked vocal phrases appear short on the page, but the tempo
and exposed nature of the vocal line make them deceptively long and difficult,
especially compounded in stanza three when the quickening tempo leaves little
room for more than catch breaths. Frequent melismas and large intervals increase
this difficulty, as do the held notes at the ends of the fourth and fifth stanzas.
Conceived for a baritone, “Twa Corbies” aids young, low-voiced males with
negotiating the passaggio. High E-flat and E natural on the [e] vowel (“sweet”
should rhyme with “mate” in the dialect) and the brief F natural on a round open [ɔ]
are ideal. In addition, the rounded [ɑ] vowel on “blaw” on the final high D natural
allows for an open sound and piano dynamic.
95
Summary
“Twa Corbies” is an incredibly dramatic and effective setting. Written with a
baritone in mind, the vowel-pitch alignment is ideal for traversing the passaggio,
and the ballad style helps young singers perform the piece with specific dramatic
intent. Phrases are deceptively long, and breaths are hard to catch, specifically in
the third stanza. This song should be strongly considered for intermediate, robust,
low voices and is extremely effective for the studio and stage.
96
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